Changeable-color spotlight



July 3, 1923. I 1.460.644-

J. M. DOLLISON ET AL CHANGEABLE COLOR S POTLIGHT Filed June 8, 1922 A TTORNEYS Patented July 3, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES MARTIN DOLLISON AND CLAUDE EUGENE SMITH, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

CHANGEABLE-GOLOR SPOTLIGHT.

Application filed June 8, 1922. Serial No. 566,787. I

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JAMES M. DOLLISON and CLAUDE E. SMITH, citizens of the United States, and residents of Columbus,-in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Changeable-Color Spotlights, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to light projecting devices, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of our invention is to provide an apparatus of simplified construction for projecting rays of light through a colored screen in order to provide illumination for exhibiting window displays, fashion exhibits, pictures, and like merchandise and wares to best advantage.

A further object is to provide a device of the character described which includes a rotating color disk having translucent portions of different colors and means for projecting rays of light through the colored portions in succession to create the effect of a continuous blending of colors.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followin description, and the novel features of t e invention will be particularly outlined in the appended claims.

Our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this ap lication, in which igure 1 is a perspective View showlng a practical embodiment of theinvention,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the embodiment of the invention,

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the same embodiment of the invention,

Figure 4 is a face view of a colored disk comprised in the device, and

Figure 5 is a side elevation showing a floor lamp equipped with the invention in reduced form, portions of the floor lamp being broken away.

In carrying out our invention, we pro vide a substantially cylindrical casing 1 which is merged at one end by a ta ered portion 2 into a portion 3 of relative y reduced diameter the portion 3 bein concentric with the cylindrical casing 1. The space within the cylindrical casing 1 is separated from the space within the ta ered portion 2 by a transverse partition 4 aving a central opening 5 from which a reflector 6 extends interiorly of the cylindrical casing 1. A lamp socket 7 having electrical conductors 8 operatively connected therewith is mounted within the reduced portion 3 and an incandescent lamp 9 encircled by the reflector 6 has a stem portion 10 extending through the opening 5 and interfitting the socket 7.

The reflector 6, which may be formed integrally with the partition 4 extends the entire length of the cylindrical casing 1 and is formed with the inner walls thereof concaved at all points, being substantially elliptical in form, as shown, and being open at the end thereof remote from the partition 4. The open end of the reflector 6 is in open communication at 11 with the interior of a substantially drum-shaped casing 12 which closes the end of the cylindrical casing 1 remote from the tapered portion 2 and with one side of which the c lindrical casing 1 may be formed integrally. The drum-shaped casing 12 is eccentrically disposed in respect to the cylindrical casin 1 and is considerably larger diametricfil y than the latter. An axial shaft 13 which is journaled in the side of the drum-shaped casing and extends throu h one side thereof has secured thereto a dis 14 which is thus disposed for rotation in the drum-sha d casing 12 in concentric relation to the liftter and in eccentric relation to the cylindrical casing 1. The disk 14 comprises a plurality of sector-shaped portions 15 made of a translucent material and colored in contrasting colors.

The side of the drum-shaped casing 12- remote from the cylindrical casing 1 is provided with'an opening 16 in axial alignment with the opening 11. An annular extension 17 encircles the opening 16 and is formed integrally with the proximate side of the drum-shaped housing. A difl'using lens 18 is mounted Within the annular extension 17. The inner tubular section 19 of a telescopic projector 20 which includes an outer tubular section 21 slidably mounted upon the section 19 is mounted upon the annular extension 17. A set screw 22 provides a means for releasably lockingv the outer section 21 to the inner section 19 of the rojector 20 to adjust the length of the tending flange 24 at the outer end thereof and is releasably held in place by a set screw 25.

Any suitable motive means may be provided to rotate the disk 14, preferably a spring motor, such as is employed in a clock mechanism, and which is supported upon the drum-shaped casing 12 and operatively connected with the extending end of the shaft 13 by a train of gears or the like, such as is shown diagrammatically in Figures 2 and 4 of the drawings and indicated generally at 26.

n the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, the cylindrical casing 1 is shown as being supported in horizontal position upon the upper longitudinal section 27 of a stand or pedestal 28. The section 27 has a flattened portion 29 connected by a horizontal pivot member 30 to a depending flattened portion 31 of a bracket 32 which is secured to the casing 1 in any suitable known manner. The pivot 30 is engaged by a nut 33 whereby the flattenedportion 31 can be clamped against the portion 29 and the cylindrical casing 1 thus releasably held with the longitudinal axis thereof disposed in any desired relation to the horizontal.

The section 27 of the stand 28 has a rela tively reduced portion 34 depending through a tubular lower section 35 the length of the latter and bein supported upon the latter by means of a sioulder 36 at the upper end of the portion 34 resting upon the tubular section 35 at the upper end of the latter. The lower section 35 is provided with a base 37 having screw receiving openings 38 formed therethrough whereby the stand can be secured to a supporting surface. such as a floor or the like. The arrangement described permits of the rotation of the upper section 27 and of the cylindrical casing 1 about the longitudinal or vertical axis of the stand 28. A screw 39 threadedly engaging an axial opening or socket in the reduced portion 34 at the lower end of the latter is formed with a head 40 adapted to abut the wall of a recess in the bottom of the base 37 to releasably hold the section 34 against rotation independently of the base 37.

The drum shaped portion 12 of the casing catch arrangement 43 whereby access to the reflector 6 and the lamp 9 may be bad.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. The conductors 8 are adapted for connection with any suitable source of electric current supply and when the lamp 9 is energized, rays of light will be projected through the opening 11, through the portion of the colored disk 14 located between the opening 11.and

the diffusing lens 18 at any given time, and through the projector 20 and the lens in the outer end of the latter to a desired place and in a desired direction. When the color plate 14 is rotated the rays of light passing through translucent portions 15 of different colors in succession will create the effect of a color plate of continuously changing colors. The colors of the different portions of the disk 14 will be blended as the color disk is rotated and when extrinsic rays of light between the projector 20 and an object upon which the rays of light are projected are practically excluded, the objects will be illuminated and will appear to have the color of the particular portion of the colored disk positioned between the lamp 9 and the lens 18 at a given time, or will appear to change in color if the color disk 14 is rotating.

In Figure 5, we show an embodiment of the invention comprised in a floor lamp. The embodiment of the invention exhibited in Figure 5 includes in reduced form the essential elements of the form of the device heretofore described and we shall therefore confine our description of the modification to the parts thereof which differ from corresponding parts of the form shown in the preceding views. The same reference characters have been used to designate like parts throughout the several views of the draw- Tn Figure 5, the cylindrical casing 1 is shown in vertical position, the relatively small portion 3 being fitted into a socket formed in the upper end of a lamp stand 50, which is of conventional construction in essential respects. A lamp shade 51 is supported upon the stand 50 and houses the upper portion of the lamp stand 50, the cylindrical casing 1 and the parts appurtenant thereto as hereinbefore described. A reflector 52 having the form of an inverted cone is arranged to depend within the shade 51 in axialv alignment with the projector 20 and directly above the latter. The rays of light from the projector will strike the sloping walls of the inverted conical reflector 52 and will be refracted radially from all parts or the outer surface of the reflector against the inner wall of the lamp shade, which is suitably lined, as with a white fabric, whereupon the lining of the lamp shade will appear to have the colors of particular portions of the color disk 14 or to changein color as the color disk is rotated,

Obviously, our invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms other than those illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and we therefore consider as our own all modifications of the forms of the device herein disclosed, which fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim 1. In a device of the character described, a casing having an opening at one end and being adapted to support a light emitting element therein, means within the casing for projecting rays of light from the light emitting element through the opening, a color disk rotatably supported in eccentric relation to the opening in the casing and having a plurality of translucent portions of different colors arranged in an annular series between its axis of rotation and its periphery, in position to be successively interposed between the light emitting element and the opening as the color disk is rotated, a lamp stand supporting the casing in vertical position with the end having the opening therein uppermost, a lamp shade encompassing the casing, and aninverted conical reflector within the lamp shade above the casing havelement therein, a color disk supported with a portion thereof in the line of rays of light passing through the opening from the light emitting element, a shade encompassin the casing and spaced therefrom, an a reflector arranged within the shade in the line of rays of light passing from the light emitting element through the color disk for reflecting such rays of light upon the inner Wall of the shade.

3. In a device of the character described, a substantially cylindrical casing having an opening at one end thereof, a light emitting element supported within the casing, a reflector arranged Within the casing in position to project rays of light from the light emitting element through the openin of the casing, a substantially drum shape casing closing the open end of the first casing and being disposed eccentrically in respect to the latter, said drum shaped casing comprising complemental sections hingedly secured together and releasably held in closed relation in respect to each other, a color wheel rotatably supported within the drum shaped casing in concentric relation to the latter. and an outlet for rays of light extending from the side of the drumshaped casing remote from the first casing in line with the opening, of the first casing and with the light emitting element in the latter.

JAMES MARTIN DOLLISON. CLAUDE EUGENE SMITH. 

